Key Performance Indicators
Department of Natural Resources
Mission
Develop, conserve and maximize the use of Alaska's natural resources consistent with the public interest. Alaska Constitution Article 8; Alaska Statute (AS) 03, AS 27, AS 38, AS 40, AS 41, AS 43.90, AS 14.30.740
Key Performance Indicators
| FY2025 Management Plan as of 04/29/2025 (in thousands) | |||||||||
| Department of Natural Resources Totals | Funding | Positions | |||||||
| UGF Funds | DGF Funds | Other Funds | Federal Funds | Total Funds | Full Time | Part Time | Non Perm | ||
| $67,488.9 | $48,428.7 | $42,180.2 | $15,301.4 | $173,399.2 | 767 | 215 | 72 | ||
| 2: |
Mitigate threat to the public from natural hazards by providing comprehensive fire protection services on state, private and municipal lands, and through identifying significant geologic hazards.
|
Funding | Positions | ||||||
|
UGF Funds |
DGF Funds |
Other Funds |
Federal Funds |
Total Funds |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Non Perm |
||
| $28,464.3 | $767.3 | $2,665.8 | $2,090.6 | $33,988.0 | 94 | 185 | 3 | ||
- Target: Publish reports or maps providing improved assessment of geologic hazards that could pose significant risks to public safety or infrastructure.
- Target: Contain more than 90% of wildland fires at less than 10 acres within Alaska"s heavily populated areas (Critical and Full Management Options) in accordance with the Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Management Plan.
- Target: Provide wildland fire training to agency personnel, fire departments, and urban and rural communities.
- Target: Fill the firefighting needs for the average fire season with Alaskan firefighters.
- Target: Provide safe, cost effective wildland fire protection services to the State of Alaska.
- Target: Reduce the impact of wildfire smoke on the public by working to mitigate smoke concerns from fires near communities.
- Target: Minimize lost work days for firefighters.
| 3: |
Provide access to state lands for public and private use, settlement, and recreation.
|
Funding | Positions | ||||||
|
UGF Funds |
DGF Funds |
Other Funds |
Federal Funds |
Total Funds |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Non Perm |
||
| $5,920.7 | $22,185.0 | $6,486.5 | $2,527.8 | $37,120.1 | 216 | 4 | 52 | ||
- Target: Process a minimum of 80% of land use applications received.
- Target: Process a minimum of 90% of new water use applications received.
- Target: Provide accessible, clean, safe, and well-maintained park facilities for Alaska residents and visitors by reducing deferred maintenance needs in park units.
- Target: Collect fees necessary to reach authorized program receipt funds in the Parks Management and Access budget; annually evaluate and if necessary, raise fees in order to reach program receipts authorization.
| 4: |
Ensure sufficient data acquisition and assessment of land and resources to foster responsible resource and community development and public safety.
|
Funding | Positions | ||||||
|
UGF Funds |
DGF Funds |
Other Funds |
Federal Funds |
Total Funds |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Non Perm |
||
| $8,552.9 | $4,770.2 | $6,331.5 | $4,583.2 | $24,237.8 | 110 | 12 | 4 | ||
- Target: Publish airborne geophysical survey data for Alaska"s minerals-interest lands.
- Target: Publish reports on energy-related geology that assist the energy industry and state agencies in exploring for and managing energy resources on state-interest lands.
Performance Detail
| Priority 1: Foster responsible commercial development and use of state land and natural resources, consistent with the public interest, for long-term wealth and employment. |
Target #1: Provide Alaskan firms in Southern Southeast Alaska with the maximum volume of state timber sustainably available.
Ketchikan continues to be the division"s highest revenue producing office. DOF is utilizing a housing stipend and retention bonus in an effort to attract candidates to vacant positions in Ketchikan. These positions have had high turnover rates and are challenging to fill. The Ketchikan office continues to leverage contractor and industry partnerships to assist in sale planning and development. Through Good Neighbor Agreements with the US Forest Service, DOF has been able to provide timber to the industry from the Tongass National Forest in addition to state forest lands. This year, the Kosciusko GNA contract was completed and DOF is currently administering the Vallner Bay GNA contract. DOF is looking to complete this contract and work with the Forest Service to develop more GNA projects. Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024 |
Target #2: Offer 200 parcels of land at auction.
Target Last Modified: 10/09/2024 |
Target #3: Facilitate and improve regulatory and lease compliance monitoring of AS.38.35 pipelines.
The Pipeline Section generally applies a systematic approach to lease compliance inspections based on lessee annual reports and proposed work plans. Each field inspection is conducted according to a project mission developed around lease stipulations and the lessee`s work plans and maintenance activities, or other lease related actions such as amendments, releases of interest, and renewals. FY 2024: Field, compliance oversight and permitting activities continued to increase to slightly above pre-COVID-19 levels, in part due to new Oil and Gas development projects. The Pipeline Section with our liaison members carried out 202 actions, including 51 lease, land, water, and material actions; and 151 oversight activities including: inspections, reports, reviews, and surveillances. The section continued to develop Geospatial Information System (GIS) processes and tools which were first initiated in FY2019. Staffing and recruiting continued to be a challenge. FY 2023: The Pipeline Section observed activity, including field surveillances and permit applications similar to pre-COVID-19 activities. Although the metrics provided showed a decrease from FY 2022, that was due to a change in internal reporting. The Pipeline Section saw an increase in new lease applications, and authorization requests from lessees during FY 2023. FY 2022: The Pipeline Section observed activity, including field surveillances and permit applications, more consistent with pre-COVID-19 activities. This was reflected in the FY 2022 metrics which captured previous years prior to and during the inconsistencies associated with FY 2019-2021. FY 2020 — 2021: Inspections, permit applications, and surveillances were minimized between FY 2020 and FY 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions implemented by lessees and industry, and long-term vacancies in the Pipeline Section. Oversight and regulatory actions of pipelines shifted from predominantly fieldwork to remote coordination and digital information sharing. At that time, industry reprioritized routine maintenance of pipelines during COVID-19 restrictions to restrict work that was critical to the safety, environment and integrity of pipelines and deferred routine maintenance to later. During these years, the Pipeline Section saw fewer permit applications. FY 2019: Starting in FY 2019, the Pipeline Section implemented a GIS platform that was utilized for gathering field data and pipeline system data while conducting inspections, thus changing some of the metrics originally collected. Target Last Modified: 09/30/2024 |
Target #4: Conduct multi-agency coordination on planning, review, permitting, compliance, and monitoring for a range of responsible natural resource and infrastructure development projects consistent with the Department"s and participating State agencies" missions.
OPMP works with project proponents and regulators to develop timelines that align, to the greatest extent possible, statutory, regulatory, and other permit requirements with project needs and goals. Progress is monitored, potential challenges and opportunities are identified, and support is continuously provided. OPMP continues to anticipate an upward trend in the near-term (1-2 years) in the mining, energy, and broadband categories, due to demand for OPMP services in line with Alaska"s goals and the Department"s mission, and commensurate with outside funding and other support. OPMP"s principal challenge is maintaining sufficient organizational capacity (i.e. staffing, training, expertise, budget resources, etc.) to adjust to fluctuations in workloads and deliver timely, multi-agency coordination on planning, review, permitting, compliance, and monitoring. Such workload fluctuations are often driven by factors outside OPMP"s control (i.e. economic conditions, regulatory changes, commodity process, investment trends, available funding, etc.) Related links: Target Last Modified: 01/06/2025 |
Target #5: Provide stable or increasing economic benefit from the use of trees and forests on state land by selling state timber to twenty or more Alaskan businesses.
Target Last Modified: 01/06/2025 |
Target #6: Increase awareness of Alaska Grown products and market options and expand gross farm product sales.
The data provided comes from surveys conducted throughout the year by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Services. Core services continue to demonstrate growth in monetary value of Alaska agricultural products sold. Target Last Modified: 01/06/2025 |
Target #7: Operate the Forest Resources and Practices Act program to achieve 100% implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs).
The division uses compliance monitoring results to identify training needs. Training emphasizes specific BMPs with relatively low ratings and targets operators with a history of compliance issues. The Division is conducting more BMP training for new incoming field foresters to perform inspections. Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024 |
Target #8: Promote safer boating behaviors on Alaska"s waters.
Target Last Modified: 05/30/2024 |
| Priority 2: Mitigate threat to the public from natural hazards by providing comprehensive fire protection services on state, private and municipal lands, and through identifying significant geologic hazards. |
Target #1: Publish reports or maps providing improved assessment of geologic hazards that could pose significant risks to public safety or infrastructure.
The Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys` (DGGS) Geologic Hazards Section published 30 hazards-related reports and datasets in FY2024, including 12 lidar datasets, one ortho-image with an accompanying photogrammetry-derived elevation dataset, seven bathymetric datasets, two coastal hazards reports (event-driven coastal erosion in Wainwright and a coastal flood impact assessment for Kipnuk), two tsunami inundation reports (Anchorage, Tyonek, Kenai, Ninilchik, and Anchor Point in Cook Inlet), two landslide hazard reports (Barry Arm Fjord and the 2023 Wrangell landslide), two methodologies related to coastal inundation modeling and flood assessment in coastal Alaska, and two information circulars on landslide hazards and naturally occurring radon in Alaska. The Hydrology & Surficial Geology Section published four hazards-related reports in FY2024, which included a report about identifying potential gravel sources using geophysical techniques near Utqiagvik, Alaska; a methodology report describing the installation of hydrologic monitoring equipment in support of investigations along a proposed road connecting remote North Slope communities; and two lidar datasets collected near Deadhorse. The Volcanology Section, working in conjunction with federal U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Alaska Fairbanks partners, published seven volcano-hazard related reports and datasets in FY2024, including a detailed geologic map of Okmok Volcano, comprehensive reports on all volcanic activity in Alaska for 2020, and geochemical data on tephra samples from Cook Inlet volcanoes. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/10/2024 |
Target #2: Contain more than 90% of wildland fires at less than 10 acres within Alaska"s heavily populated areas (Critical and Full Management Options) in accordance with the Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Management Plan.
One of DOF`s key goals is to contain 90% of wildland fires at less than 10 acres within Critical and Full management option areas. In 2024, 98% of the 122 fires in “Critical” were contained at under 10 acres, and 50 out of 59, 85% of fires within “Full” were contained at less than 10 acres. During a period with high fire danger IA resources were spread thin, two fires grew larger than 10 acres in the "Critical" management area; Montana Creek fire (159 acres) and Tustumena Lake fire (35 acres). Both fires were aggressively attacked with retardant and water dropping aircraft, and ground forces were able to contain the fires before any significant damage to values at risk. A lower-48 Type 3 incident management team was assigned to the Montana Creek fire to allow DOF resources to reset for initial attack. Six of the nine fires in a "Full" protection area that grew larger than 10 acres were in the Southwest Area during a lightning burst that saw initial attack activity overwhelm resources and the capability to contain every fire. Fires in the Southwest are also further from firefighting resource bases, leading to longer response times. The Alaska Fire Management Plan allows for non-standard responses, so the strategies for some fires in "Full" management areas change to partial containment or point protection of values at risk to prioritize resources and keep suppression costs down. Target Last Modified: 01/06/2025 |
Target #3: Provide wildland fire training to agency personnel, fire departments, and urban and rural communities.
In 2024, DOF conducted 33 interagency classes across a range of subjects and disciplines, including mental health and emergency medical training. Extensive training is provided not only to state employees but also to cooperators such as local and federal government employees. There were over 600 cooperators, and 1000 EFF trained this year. Online training is included in this number and remains a popular delivery method. A five-person LTNP Helitack module was rehired in McGrath, providing the area with additional capacity to provide helicopter supported initial attack in the area, while providing the LTNPs with valuable fire experience. DOF hosted four academies and a statewide Basic Fire Fighter course in 2024, with 118 cadets successfully graduating. Sessions included a basic firefighter academy, an intermediate firefighter academy, DOF`s first-ever Prevention and Initial Attack academies. In combination with the hazardous fuel`s reduction program, 74 graduates were employed on fuels crews to complete hazard mitigation projects and as initial attack firefighters. Five more academies are scheduled for 2025, with 4 focusing on wildland fire operations ranging from entry level to intermediate and our engine academy. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/09/2024 |
Target #4: Fill the firefighting needs for the average fire season with Alaskan firefighters.
A successful program requires a trained, experienced Alaskan firefighting workforce combined with infrastructure, equipment, and logistical support. Within DOF Fire Management Areas, there has been a consistent turnover of fire managers, Type 3 Incident Commanders, Division Supervisors as well as dispatch and aviation personnel. Recruitment and retention of a qualified firefighting force within the DOF has been challenging due to the short season of employment combined with more competitive wages and benefits in the private and Federal sectors. Department Order 017 identifies that the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry provide a strong initial attack, management, and support capability to assure maximum efficiency is achieved for an average fire year based on the historical fire occurrence. As the complexity and length of the fire season increases, the need for experienced personnel to manage these fires has become even more critical. Extensive knowledge and training are necessary to make timely decisions about strategy and tactics. This is more critical as the urban interface environment and the responsibilities to protect lives, homes and communities continues to grow. Related links: Target Last Modified: 01/06/2025 |
Target #5: Provide safe, cost effective wildland fire protection services to the State of Alaska.
Modified" management option is treated as "Full" earlier in the season when fires have a greater potential for growth and after management evaluation around July 10th, they are converted and treated as "Limited". These management options are meant as an initial guide only, and agency administrators may alter the response based on resource availability, values at risk, safety, ecological benefit or cost concerns. Alaska`s 2024 fire season has been average, with 376 confirmed fires burning a total of 667,060 acres across the state. As snow melted in April and May, exposing cured grass and vegetation, the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) responded to a significant number of human-caused fires, mostly near larger population centers such as Kenai, Mat-Su, and Fairbanks. The state`s first large fire, the Popovitch Coal Seam Fire, which burned approximately 4,000 acres, was detected on May 17th and required a suppression response to prevent it from spreading towards values such as homesites and mining infrastructure. In mid-June, lightning storms ignited dozens of fires in Southwest Alaska, prompting the deployment of statewide air and ground resources to McGrath to enhance initial attack capabilities and protect key values on some of the larger fires. A Type 3 team was deployed to manage a series of six fires near Red Devil, which posed potential threats to communities, allotments, and mining infrastructure. In July, a second round of lightning storms ignited fires in the central interior, leading to smoke issues and unhealthy air quality in Fairbanks as hot and dry weather created conditions conducive to large fire growth. The McDonald Fire, under the responsibility of the Department of Defense (DOD), was burning on military lands south of Fairbanks and had the most significant impact on air quality. This fire was allowed to burn due to its location within an impact area and the threat of unexploded ordnance. DOF assisted with protection efforts for identified state values, including cabins and campgrounds. During this period, multiple lightning-caused fires north of Fairbanks burned on state jurisdiction lands. Although predominantly on Department of Natural Resources (DNR) lands, they were managed under the statewide agreement by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alaska Fire Service. A group of fires, later named the Grapefruit Complex, threatened the community of Joy, the Elliott Highway, Department of Transportation (DOT) maintenance crew camps, and the Trans Alaska Pipeline (TAP) infrastructure. An Alaskan Complex Incident Management Team was assigned to manage this incident, ensuring the highway corridor remained open and protecting values at risk. Two coastal region fires with significant potential were the Tustumena Lake Fire (35 acres) in Kenai and the Montana Creek Fire (159 acres) in the Mat-Su Area near Talkeetna. Both fires received a robust initial attack with aircraft and ground forces, which was crucial in catching the fires early and protecting the values at risk. Two Type 3 Incident Management Teams were assigned to fully contain and control these fires, both of which could have had serious impacts due to the population density and fuel types in the area. When there was a shortage of Alaskan resources, the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection received needed fire suppression aircraft, crews, and overhead support from Canada and the Lower-48 through the Northwest Compact agreement. In particular, the statewide shortage of fire crews necessitated bringing up 15 Type 1 and Type 2 initial attack fire crews from the Lower-48 to bolster ground forces in June and July. Related links: Target Last Modified: 01/06/2025 |
Target #6: Reduce the impact of wildfire smoke on the public by working to mitigate smoke concerns from fires near communities.
DEC issued seventeen wildfire related air quality advisories in 2024, the majority of which were triggered by smoke from the McDonald fire just south of Fairbanks. Starting on June 9th, several advisories for the McDonald Fire were issued for smoke affecting Central and Eastern Alaska with additional smoke coming from a fire just over the Canadian border. In mid-June, advisories for Southwest Alaska were added to due new fires burning in the Kuskokwim Mountains. By the end of June, smoke from fires in the Grapefruit Complex were added to the McDonald fire, creating more air quality advisories for of the Interior, along with fires in the Southwest and Western Alaska. Wetter weather in early July dampened smoke production in all fires across the the State, and only one additional smoke advisory was issued in late July for potential for smoke from fires in the Yukon Flats and coming in over the border from Canada. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/08/2024 |
Target #7: Minimize lost work days for firefighters.
In 2024, DOF continued to see high numbers of Strains and Sprains, though most of these can be attributed to the inherent hazardous nature of wildland fire and the high physical demands. DOF has made early "season" awareness and Physical conditioning a high priority for its staff. The Alaska fire medic program has been a robust, interagency program that trains and outfits fire medics who can be mobilized to fires when needed. Fire medics are crucial in Alaska due to the remoteness of the work, and distance and time that are required to get a patient to a medical facility. The BLM/Alaska Fire Service has been the lead agency in developing the program over the years, but with a change in the BLM`s national management of medical programs, DOF is taking more responsibility for maintaining its own fire medic program into the future. Target Last Modified: 10/13/2024 |
| Priority 3: Provide access to state lands for public and private use, settlement, and recreation. |
Target #1: Process a minimum of 80% of land use applications received.
Not included in the above numbers are Interagency Land Management Assignments, Cooperative Resource Management Agreements, and trespass cases. DMLW supports other state agencies through the issuance of Interagency Land Management Assignments, and issues Cooperative Resource Management Agreements with municipalities or other entities. These actions require time and attention as well as adjudicatory work. Each new authorization issued creates a new workload of contract administration, assignments, amendments, name changes, sub-lease agreements, billing, monitoring, compliance and close out, all of which is not reflected in these numbers. DMLW expects there to be more applications in future years as the state strives to bring in additional entitlement acres with high development potential each year, as federally approved infrastructure initiatives generate new projects, and DMLW moves to improve tracking and resolution of previously unauthorized uses which could be legitimately permitted. DMLW"s stewardship responsibilities that do not involve issuing an authorization are constant. The substantial amount of time staff spends on these issues takes them away from their duties to process authorizations. FY2024 Received Issued Leases 143 110 Material Sale 50 41 Permits 450 423 Easements 30 43 Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024 |
Target #2: Process a minimum of 90% of new water use applications received.
Of the 519 total water authorizations issued in FY2024, DMLW issued 262 water appropriations and 257 temporary water use authorizations. Applications for temporary water use applications were up considerably from 231 applications in FY2023 to 331 applications in FY2024. Whereas, applications for water appropriations was 174 for FY2024 as compared to 141 in FY2023. A water appropriation backlog reduction project was begun in FY2022, greatly increasing the rate of authorizations issued. Progress against the appropriation backlog is expected to continue, though at a reduced pace as the remaining casefiles are more complex. Target Last Modified: 10/11/2024 |
Target #3: Provide accessible, clean, safe, and well-maintained park facilities for Alaska residents and visitors by reducing deferred maintenance needs in park units.
Target Last Modified: 05/30/2024 |
Target #4: Collect fees necessary to reach authorized program receipt funds in the Parks Management and Access budget; annually evaluate and if necessary, raise fees in order to reach program receipts authorization.
Any new investments in the division"s infrastructure will be reviewed with the idea of sustainability and revenue producing potential in mind. Investments in public use cabins, electronic fee stations, and similar infrastructure have revenue producing potential and fill a demonstrated public demand. Target Last Modified: 05/30/2024 |
| Priority 4: Ensure sufficient data acquisition and assessment of land and resources to foster responsible resource and community development and public safety. |
Target #1: Publish airborne geophysical survey data for Alaska"s minerals-interest lands.
The federal Earth MRI critical-minerals program was funded by the U.S. Congress in FFY2019 to acquire airborne geophysical surveys, geologic mapping, and lidar over areas of the nation with critical minerals potential. Additional funds were added through the federal IIJA bill in 2022, so federal funding will be at elevated levels through 2026. DGGS has been contracted by the USGS to manage the geophysical contracts covering large portions of Alaska`s mineral districts. In FY2024 DGGS released 11,260 square miles of fixed-wing magnetic and radiometric data and 3,129 sq. mi. of helicopter magnetic and radiometric data in the northern Kuskokwim Mountains. In late FY2023 and early FY2024, DGGS continued acquisition of fixed-wing and helicopter magnetic and radiometric and gravity data in the Kuskokwim mountains area of Southwest Alaska; new survey data blocks are scheduled for publication in FY2025. DGGS also completed a helicopter-borne electromagnetic survey on the Seward Peninsula in early FY2025. The lower FY2025 target of 4,000 sq. mi. reflects incomplete survey collects due to inclement 2024 summer weather; these surveys will instead be completed in FY2025 and published in FY2026. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/10/2024 |
Target #2: Publish reports on energy-related geology that assist the energy industry and state agencies in exploring for and managing energy resources on state-interest lands.
DGGS fell short of the target number of energy reports due to a redirection of activities, with a focus on three new efforts: 1) logistics, contracting, and permitting for a major Arctic Strategic Transportation and Resources (ASTAR)-funded coring project on the North Slope with the U.S. Geological Survey, 2) the section`s lead technical role in the CORE-CM project was extended by an additional six months, resulting in substantial stakeholder work and the uploading of new geochemical data to a community Energy Data Exchange (EDX) database, and 3) participation in carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) statewide working groups, as well as contributing to three major U.S. Department of Energy grant applications. The energy section was further challenged by staff turnover and recruitment of well-qualified applicants. Related links: Target Last Modified: 10/10/2024 |
Last refreshed: 04/29/2025 08:00 am